


A safe embrace

by GreggorMcPheeb



Series: I have a question to ask [2]
Category: 10 O'Clock Live RPF, British Comedy RPF, Jimmy Carr - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 21:56:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1111956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreggorMcPheeb/pseuds/GreggorMcPheeb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Far too much whisky and a staircase conversation</p>
            </blockquote>





	A safe embrace

Time meandered the day after Jon left and I slowly grew accustomed to living alone. I told everyone that I had never been happier (that had some truth in it) and that change was what I truly needed. Coffee catch-ups, after-work drinks and a one-night-stand all blended into one another until the façade of ‘my vibrator is better than any man’ shattered. I pushed the phone out of the pocket of my skinny jeans when it vibrated and looked over the message, reading it countless times: I miss you. Jon x

My knees collapsed as I sat on the sticky floor of the staircase. My eyes itched from the salty tears and my nose began to run, I knew my face would be getting red and make up starting to smudge. Hell, I didn’t miss him. I barely thought about him. The last time I saw his face was when I threw out a photo of the two of us. I swiftly replaced it with a picture of my grandparent’s wedding day. Lucy commented on how its sepia tones looked pretty against the ivory coloured frame. I was just glad to get rid of his irritating grin.

That message pulled at my heartstrings: we had loved each other and now he was gone. I deleted the message before curling up as tightly as I could and letting out another sob of frustration and nostalgia. I had shuttered out love and romance over the past few weeks and concentrated on the things that mattered to me most; yet still it wasn’t enough.

I had no idea how long it had been when I heard a voice from the bottom of the stairs “Hey, are you ok?” I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair. I knew I would look a mess if I revealed my face. I heard footsteps before a figure settling down next to me “Come on, something’s got to get you down enough to make you cry in a stairwell.”  
“Bloody ex, he broke up with me over the phone saying he was moving to Paris and suddenly sends a text saying he misses me. Christ I sound so girly and ridiculous!” I realised, lifting my head from my knees. I noticed it was Jimmy Carr sitting next me, leaning against the step above him with his long legs stretched out.   
“No you don’t. He sounds like a twat,” he said “Your Ellen, right?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Well this guy is clearly a massive arse, breaking up with a girl like you. Especially just running off like that.”  
“And he cheated on me last year, he didn’t know I knew about it. He didn’t even bother to make an effort, just made out with a girl from the bar in our building.”  
“Bloody hell,” he laughed in disbelief “This isn’t a chat up but I have no idea where anyone would find a girl better than you. He must be a complete idiot.”  
Suddenly Stacy poked her head around the door “There you are Jimmy, sorry to take you away but the director needs you to rehearse your segment,” she noticed it was me sitting with Jimmy and slipped away, trying not to burst into laughter.  
“You know where I am,” he smiled.  
“Thank you,” I replied before he jogged down the stairs to the studio. I pushed myself off the floor with the first true smile on my face that I had worn in a while. 

~*~

I sat down heavily in my sofa, a vintage whisky in hand as I prepared for a night in. As I took a sip, the doorbell rang “Fuck sake,” I murmured, dumping the glass on the coffee table.   
The moment I opened the door, a body flung itself at me, wrapping her arms around me “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner Ellen,” I heard my best friend whisper. I closed the door behind her and hugged her closer. I suddenly felt safe in her arms and burst into tears for the second time today. I stood back from the embrace I had cried into countless times, in order to wipe my face and offer her a drink. She oohed at the label of whisky before pouring herself a glass as I recounted today’s events “Jimmy Carr? God I would love to ravish that posh boy,” she winked. I had to suppress laughter due to my mouth being filled with whisky.  
“He’s alright looking,” I lied.  
“The things I would do, I bet he’s dirty in bed,” she laughed, falling around the sofa.  
“You can ask him that! I don’t think he would mind me asking but the bosses may want to sack me. Stop making me laugh, I don’t want to get a 20 year old whisky all over my sofa. I’m not wasting a drop.”  
“Uh the 20 year old whisky I gave you for your birthday.”  
“Yes, and the best present I’ve ever had,” I replied, patting her hand.  
“How are you feeling? Please don’t use drink as a comfort,” she pleaded.  
“Jesus, are you now my therapist?!”  
“I didn’t mean it like that, I was just thinking about your last breakup.”  
“I’m a big girl Rose, I can handle myself.”  
“You said that last time.”

Rose and I sat together for the rest of the night, chatting aimlessly until the clock struck 3. I made up the sofa for her, she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. I chucked back the last of the whisky in my glass before heading to bed. I peeled off my clothes and lay, looking at the ceiling, until the whisky persuaded me to sleep.


End file.
